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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Tickseed or Coreopsis

Tickseed or Coreopsis

Tickseed (Coreopsis) is a favourite in our garden.It is a long-blooming perennial that has a profusion of bright yellow flowers in summer.The plants grow in tidy, airy mounds that need little care and are rarely bothered by pests.

Two large clumps grow in sun to light shade in the flower bed on a steep slope that edges our driveway.It is drought tolerant and grows well in the average to poor soil that often occurs next to a driveway.

We have the variety “Zagreb”.These masses of bright, golden-yellow flowers with thread-leaf foliage grow into plants that are fuller and more compact than other varieties.

This plant blooms well all summer, but less profusely as summer wanes. For more flowers, we deadhead the spent blooms or simply cut the plants back half and get a second show of flowers.

Tickseed requires patience as it is one of the last perennials to emerge through the soil.However, patience is rewarded, as the sight of a breeze rippling through the feathery foliage and caressing the sun-bright flowers is well worth the wait.

Reference material was taken from Lois Hole’s Perennial Favourites, published in 1995 by Lone Pine Publishing, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.